Wrist strap



April 2l, 1942. R, KELTlE 2,280,490

WRIST STRAP Filed Nov. 2, 1939 n lllllgufej; a w,.........

AALP/f IJ KEL T/E his Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICEWRIST STRAP Ralph J. Keltie, Wellesley Hills, Mass. Application November2, 1939, Serial No. 302,557

2 Claims.

This invention relates to Wrist bands, straps or bracelets, and pertainsmore particularly to improvements in wrist watch straps.

The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a wrist strap whichwill hold a watch, locket or other ornament in predetermined positionupon the wrist, and which will remain in fixed position even though thestrap is fastened rather loosely upon the wrist of the wearer.

Although the subject matter of this invention may be incorporated inchain-link, metal mesh or othertypes of bands or bracelets, it hasespecial utility when embodied in leather watch straps; for anotherobject of the invention is to provide a bracelet having the flexibility,durability and comfort characteristic of leather straps which arecommonly employed to hold a wrist watch in place.

It is well known that all ordinary bracelets or wrist straps will slipor rotate about the wrist, unless they are fastened so tightly as to beuncomfortable to the wearer, and that such unavoidable displacement isnot only disquieting but also inconvenient, because the watch orornament carried thereby will slide to such a position that it cannot beproperly viewed without abnormal twisting of the wrist, with the resultthat the position of the bracelet must be frequently adjusted.`

This inconvenience is avoided without sacrifice of comfort orappearance, by incorporating in a leather or other flexible watchbracelet, in accordance with the present invention, a relatively shortlength of resilient or semi-rigid material which will stiffen and tendto straighten a portion of the bracelet and thus prevent it fromslipping around the wrist, while at the same time exerting a slightexpansive tension which will yieldingly compensate for the desiredlooseness of the strap. The watch or ornament may thus be held in anyposition which suits the taste of the wearer, by properly locating oneor more stiilening pieces with respect to the watch or ornament and thecontour of the wrist.

Recommended embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an extended wrist watch strap, with a portionthereof broken away to show a piece of resilient stiifening material;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the strap of Fig. 1 fastened as worn on thewrist;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a watch strap equipped with a modifiedform of stiftening member;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged transverse sections on lines 4-4 and 5 5 ofFigs. 1 and 3, respectively;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the wrist watch in anoptional position, with a modified arrangement of the stiffeningmembers;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a watch strap equipped with anotheroptional form of reinforcement;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating still anothermodification;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the end of a watch strap incorporating areinforcing piece and having a loop remote from the end of the strap forconnecting the strap to the bail of a wrist watch; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the watch strap of Fig. 8, in extendedposition. l

In the form shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the watch strap sections II andI2 are made of two plies of leather or other flexible material, stitchedtogether at I3 around their edges, the inner ends of the wrist sectionsbeing connected to the bails or pins I4 of the wrist watch I5 bytheloops I6 formed by doubling the leather of each section upon itself.

Each strap section is provided with a relatively short, fiat and thinpiece of spring metal I'I, located intermediate the two plies thereofand between the rows of stitching I3, adjacent the Wrist watchconnections I6. 'Ihese metal strips tend to stiffen and straighten thestrap on opposite sides of the watch, so that when the strap is buckledon the wrist as shown in Fig. 2, the watch is centered, either on theinside or outside of the wrist, and the two reinforcing strips arelocated on a relative fiat portion of the wrist at the inside or outsidethereof. Owing to the relative stiffness of the portion l1, a strap thussecured will be restrained from slipping or sliding around therelatively abrupt curves at the sides of the normal, oval shaped wrist,and the wrist watch will thus be retained in fixed position.

In Figs. 3 and 5, the reinforcement consists of two short lengths offlexible wire 2I, secured adjacent and parallel to the sides of thewrist strap sections 22 by stitching 23 which also serves to fasten thetwo plies of the leather together.

In the form shown in Fig.' 6, the strap sections and reinforcements arearr nged so that the wrist watch I5 is disposed o center, preferably onthe inside of the wrist. In this arrangement, the outside section 26 ofthe watch strap is substantially longer than the inside section 2l, anda longer piece 28 .of flat spring metal (similar to that of Figs. 1 and4) is incorporated in the outer section. A shorter metal strip 29 may beincluded in the inner section as shown in Fig. 6, or may be omitted asindicated in Figs. 8 and 10. When a relatively long strip of resilientmetal, such as the piece 30 of a greater degree of expansivetension isproduced, thus tending to straighten the strap and resilientlycompensate for unusual looseness in the adjustment thereof upon thewrist. It will be apparent, however, that the wrist watch will be heldin fixed position by a comfortably loose strap or bracelet even thoughthe stiffener is of relatively short length, as shown for example inFig. l.

In Fig. 7, the wrist. watch 3| is connected to the strap sections 32 and33 by closed loops or rings ll made of spring wire which serve tostiffen and tend to straighten the bracelet in substantially the samemanner as the ilat metal pieces I1, 28 or 30, or the enclosed wires 2|,previously described.

The strap section 31 shown with an upstanding loop 38, spaced from itsVend, so that the end portion thereof will be disposed beneath a watchconnected to said loop in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. This permitsthe employment of a still longer spring metal strip 39, whether thewatch is centered on the inside or theoutside of the wrist or is locatedoff center; in either case the enclosed piece of spring metal will tendto expand the strap and elevate the watch for better vision. 'I'hestiffener should not, however, be so long that it will extend bebeyondthe sharp curves at the sides of the wrist and cause the strap to bendat an abrupt angle.

Although the watch bracelets herein illustrated and described comprisestrap sections made of two plies of leather, it will be evident that thestifIening-member may be embodied in a single-ply strap section, as byattaching a metal plate to the inside or outside of the section, withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention. It will also be understoodthat the stifl'ening elements may be incorporated in bracelets made ofleather cords or materials other than leather, and that the structuraldetails of the bracelet may be varied to suit particular tastes andconditions, within the intended scope of the appended claims.

It will be observed, however, that a wrist bracelet capable ofsatisfying the objects of this `invention should comprise flexibleportions adapted to rest upon the sharply curved sides of the wrist andpreferably made of soft or yielding material which will be comfortableto the wearer, and one or more relatively rigid and preferably resilientportions which tend to straighten the bracelet and which will bedisposed on the rela- Figs. 8 and 10 is employed,

tively flat parts on the inside and/or outside of the wrist, thereby torestrain rotation of the bracelet and hold the watch or other ornamentin fixed position without uncomfortable pressure sharply curved sides ofthe wrist, and it should in Fig. 9 is formed tend to expand rather thanto contract the closed bracelet.

The expansive action of the stiifener is more pronounced when the lengthof the stiffener approache's the width of the wrist, and this action'tends to hold the watch or ornament away from the wrist when a pair ofstiieners are located close to the watch, as shown in Fig. 2, or partlybeneath the watch as shown in Fig. 8.

I claim:

l. A watch bracelet comprising a pair of continuous,l freely flexiblestraps adjustably connectable around the wrist, at least one of saidstraps having a substantially fiat and relatively inflexible memberspaced inwardly of its respective ends and of a length substantiallyless than one-half the perimeter of the connected bracelet, said memberbeing constructed and arranged to straighten that part of the strap towhich it is applied and to resist curvature of the connected bracelet atthat region only, so that the watch carried by the bracelet is held inpredetermined position without constrictive tension and restrained fromslipping around the wrist, when the straightened part of the strap isdisposed along a relatively ilat portion of the wrist while the flexibleparts thereof embrace the curved sides of the wrist.

2. A watch bracelet comprising a pair of continuous freely flexiblestraps adjustably connectable around the wrist, each of said strapshaving a substantially flat and relatively inflexible member spacedinwardly on its ends and of a length substantially less than one-halftheperimeter of the connected bracelet, said members being constructed andarranged to straighten that part of the strap to which theyare'respectively applied and to resist curvature of the connectedbracelet at said regions only, so that the bracelet is held withoutconstrictive tension in predetermined position and offset laterally fromthe axis of the wrist and restrained from slipping around the wrist,when the straightened parts of the straps are disposed along therelatively flat sides of the wrist while the flexible parts thereofembrace the curved sides of the wrist.

RALPH J. KELI'IE.

